


A Part Of His Territory

by Astre_Red



Series: Through A Distorted Glass [2]
Category: Gravity Falls, The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, King is Bill Cipher, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28034427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astre_Red/pseuds/Astre_Red
Summary: Once upon a time, long before he became friends with a cursed witch, Hooty had a brief encounter with a powerful demon in the woods.Centuries later, a little demon with dreams of grandeur comes into his life, and Hooty wonders.
Relationships: Bill Cipher & Hooty (The Owl House), Hooty & King (The Owl House)
Series: Through A Distorted Glass [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053485
Comments: 4
Kudos: 61





	A Part Of His Territory

Let's start with this.

Once upon a time, when Hooty wasn't Hooty yet, when his body wasn't the Owl House, when demons weren't known as demons and hunters didn't exist, when magic still ran wild and free, the demon who would later be called Hooty met someone.

Demons like woods, and Hooty is no exception. Even if he was, the woods are his territory, and he would rather burn than leave.

Demons, especially house-demons, are very territorial.

The woods were filled with magic, just like everywhere in the Boiling Isles, but the woods were different. Maybe it was because most creatures who weren't witches lived there, or simply because it was where the Titan's heart supposedly were. In any case, the magic in the woods was heavier, wilder, like a beast sleeping and ready to pounce at any sign of attack.

It was in those woods that Hooty met him.

He wasn't a house yet, not really, because he was all alone, a house without inhabitants, without anyone to protect but himself. And a house-demon wasn't complete until it had someone to defend.

Hooty noticed him immediately, because this was his territory and he knew when someone was here.

He didn't call out and waited until a voice rang out, sounding cheerful.

“Hello! How are ya, Housy?”

Hooty's eyes narrowed when a yellow triangle came floating in front of him, standing a few feet away from his door. He was wearing a bow-tie and a tophat, and had an unique eye. This demon wasn't the weirdest Hooty had met, but he still felt different from the ones he had seen before, and he couldn't say why. He didn't like it.

“Hoot! What do you want?” he replied coldly, and the other demon's eye widened in mock offence.

“What? Can't I come and say hi to a fellow demon?”

“I don't know who you are.”

This time, the triangle seemed really annoyed, like Hooty should have bothered to learn the name of some arrogant trespasser.

“Name's Bill Cipher! And I came here to help you, kid.”

“What?” asked Hooty, frowning and vexed, “I don't need your help, hoot! I can take care of myself!”

“Of course you can!” Bill answered, “But I wondered if you wanted to come with me and some friends? We could have fun together, and you wouldn't be all alone.”

Hooty paused and Bill's eye curled in what could be called a smile. He played with his cane casually.

“You must be lonely, in those woods! And demons must stick together, am I right?”

Hooty didn't answer, thinking. But Bill continued, his eye narrowed with mocking laughter.

“Don't you want to get out of this prison? Seems like it must get boring, being stuck in the same place all the time. Don't you want to party or something?”

Hooty froze, and Bill kept talking, never realizing his mistake.

“I mean, who wouldn't want to leave? So I-”

He didn't finish talking when the ground under him collapsed and Hooty's head emerged to hit him.

“I'M NOT A PRISON!!!”

Bill wasn't hit and Hooty went through him, and he floated higher, frowning and looking down at the furious house-demon.

“Whoa! Touchy subject! Well, what about-”

“HOOT!”

Again, he couldn't finish before Hooty charged. Bill seemed to flicker between yellow and red before shrugging. Even though he didn't seem to care, Hooty could feel malevolence and hatred reeking from him, like a cloak enveloping him.

“Whatever. Don't come crying later on, Housy!”

The trespasser disappeared before the furious house-demon could reply.

* * *

It was nothing but a brief encounter between two demons who would never see each other again. Still, as time passed, Hooty never quite forgot about the strange demon who saw right through him before angering him.

Bill Cipher's name was famous among demons. It became more of a urban legend in the Boiling Isles, where witches were numerous and demons hid, and Hooty never spoke about the arrogant triangle. He never forgot, though.

Rumors were whispered in the wind, too quiet for witches to hear, about an army forming in the Nightmare Realm and the dream demon leading them. Hooty listened, and stayed quiet.

He met a cursed witch and became a strong house-demon. He fought against the ones invading his territory and won.

And one day, whispers of Bill Ciper's death come.

* * *

Hooty is old when Eda comes back with a tiny demon in her arms. He's old and his walls are cracked, his windows glassy, but he's here and he remembers. When King starts talking in a voice from centuries ago, he knows.

He doesn't say anything, because what would he say? King and Bill aren't the same. There is nothing evil or harmful in this little ball of furr. King whines and complains and yells and Hooty smiles.

It's strange to have another demon around, after living away from his kind for so long. King isn't like him, he's small and weak and childish, but he's also a demon and sometimes there are things Eda doesn't understand that King does. It's nice.

King still feels a bit like him, though. Not quite, because the little demon isn't malevolent at all, but in details. His voice and humour and personality are the same, but different. Not evil, more good. Even their goals are similar though different. To become stronger.

Hooty has never seen anything like this before. He wonders what kind of being managed to accomplish such a miracle.

* * *

Hooty isn't sure what to think of him at first, of course. They're different but he's still careful not to say anything.

But as times passes, it becomes clear that King managed to find a place in his home.

It starts with a conversation.

“Aren't you tired of staying at the same place all the time?” King asks once. It's when he just moved in, and he's still hiding near the couch, but he looks at the older demon curiously.

“Nope!” he replies cheerfully. King sends him a dubious look, and then says.

“Doesn't it feel like a prison?”

Hooty freezes, _because how dares he call me a prison,_ _ **how dares he**_ -

He feels rage and hatred building inside him, the house suddenly so much colder, and he's ready to snap and charge _because_ _ **hoW dAreS hE**_ _-_

But-

But King is looking at him with confused and slightly frightened eyes, and he doesn't look mocking or condescending, just curious and lost. He doesn't look like _him_.

So Hooty breathes and forces himself to stay calm.

“No.” he says simply.

King fidgets with his paws, frowning. He glances at Hooty and sighs.

“Sorry.” he mumbles, and grimaces like the apology physically hurt him.

Hooty smiles widely. “Hoot! No biggie!”

The house is warmer than usual all day.

* * *

And then, it ends with a realization.

“What are you doing?” he asks cheerfully from behind the other once, and he dodges King's kick with ease.

“None of your business!” King yells, taken by surprise, and Hooty frowns.

“How rude! Hoot!”

King sends him a disgusted look and leaves.

But later, when Hooty takes a closer look at the bookshelf -he is curious, after all- he understands.

King's informations on demons are correct, for the most part. Some are outdated, others wrong even if it sounds too specific to be made up, but often correct. They never talked about it, but Hooty suddenly wonders why King didn't try to ask him questions about their kind.

Instead, he chose to search through books.

Eda has so many books that Hooty never bothered to keep track, but now he feels something like dread settle inside him.

Nowadays, Bill Cipher is a nightmare only known by few. What are the odds that information about him is hidden in Eda's books?

Hooty decides not to risk it.

He starts manipulating the house so that King cannot find the books on demons, or at least not the ones likely to be related to Bill or the Nightmare Realm. It's a bit hard, but Hooty is the house, and if there's something he doesn't want to be found, then it won't.

He doesn't feel bad about it. He's not sure if King's memories could be recovered, frankly doubts it, but he can't be sure. So he doesn't risk it.

King is a part of Hooty's territory, and he doesn't want to lose him, be it literally or metaphorically. And he's not above lying and tricking to get what he wants.

He is a demon, after all.

(And if the idea that he's tricking the arrogant demon who offended him so long ago amuses him, well, it's not like anyone will ever know.)

**Author's Note:**

> I love this theory, and Hooty doesn't get enough love. I hope you liked it! If you have any idea or theory, don't hesitate to leave a comment, I'd love to read your thoughts about it!


End file.
